Like many of us, CNIB Lake Joe guest Jade Stolar loves chocolate and cheese. A self-described chocoholic, she was motivated by her sister Tara, a chef studying to become a chocolatier, to complete a “chocolate theory” course at George Brown College in Toronto.
During a CNIBLakeJoe@Home Coffee Break session, Jade revealed some of the science behind chocolate. Everyone in attendance was mesmerized about what exactly a “chocolate bomb” was and how well it could go with our coffee!
Jade has been coming to CNIB Lake Joe since 1992, first with other children as part of the Northern Exposure program, and then as an adult guest. She admits that her first visit as an adult came with a little bit of trepidation, but after meeting with friends and experiencing all that Lake Joe has to offer, she decided, “Hey, I could get used to this!”
Living in Whitby, Ont., Jade says getting to George Brown College in downtown Toronto was fraught with difficulties. Unable to drive or navigate safely in unfamiliar territory, she couldn’t easily satisfy her hunger for learning. Until the pandemic, that is! When almost everything went online during lockdowns, Jade decided to make the best of things and registered for a Professional Fromager certificate program. She has completed five of the six required courses and looks forward to joining her sister as a chocolatier/fromager duo!
Fondu for friends and family
As we enter the season of entertaining, Jade recommends a simple fondu to please any crowd. A good melting cheese is a must, and alpine cheeses like Gruyere, Beaufort, Comte, Asiago and especially Emmental will not disappoint. Most can be found in large grocery stores or special cheese shops. You can add together whichever you can easily find for great flavour. She adds a minced clove of garlic, a half onion finely chopped and two tablespoons of wine (whatever is on hand) to hers and encourages you to tailor your recipe to your tastes. Mmmm!